


The Proposition

by Cyan (vehicroids)



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route, First Kiss, M/M, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:35:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26327230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vehicroids/pseuds/Cyan
Summary: The war is over, and Claude has a very important question for Yuri.
Relationships: Yuris Leclair | Yuri Leclerc/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	The Proposition

The war is finally over.

Yuri can't believe it. After five years of ceaseless battles, it's finally over. He never thought it would end. He thought Dimitri and Edelgard would endlessly tear each other apart. He thought Claude would never bring the Alliance together, let alone the whole of Fódlan. Yet here they are.

For once, Yuri is not in Abyss. He stands atop the Goddess Tower, watching the world below. A new Fódlan is about to blossom from the manure of war and bloodshed. Peace will return to the land. However, the end of the war brings one piece of bad news.

Yuri pretends not to hear the footsteps coming up behind him, leaning on the railing instead. He doesn't need to look back to know who it is. He waits until the steps are right behind him.

"And here I thought you'd leave without a proper goodbye," he says.

A chuckle. "Then I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."

Claude leans beside Yuri as they watch the world under them together, like two rulers watching their kingdom. Neither of them say anything at first; Yuri's never been good at saying goodbye, and he likes the peace that quiet brings. The day is slowly shifting into evening, the sky turning a soft orange. He glances over at Claude, who looks up at the sky with a smile on his face. When he catches Yuri looking at him, he winks, and Yuri's attention is soon back on anything else.

"Packed up and ready to go, my king?" Yuri taunts.

"Stop that," Claude says.

Technically, Claude isn't  _ his _ king, but he's still a king. He's the King of Unification, the future king of Almyra too. It's a fact that they'll have to face soon, even if he doesn't want to.

Yuri goes to say something, but stops himself. It's not often that he's rendered speechless, but there's an exception for every rule. For example, as a rule, he's never been fond of nobles. Claude is an exception he's very glad he made. He shakes his head: there's no use in pretty words. Their unabashed flirting never worked on the other anyway, both immune from the other's charms. Or at least Yuri assumed it didn't work - Claude would only laugh at his attempts, and it made him feel stupid every time. His charm works on everyone but Claude. That only makes Yuri want to try more.

Rather, made: he won't get that chance to anymore. It's a sour thought, but it was fun while it lasted.

He'll miss playing chess in Abyss with Claude - no one has ever been able to outmatch Yuri before, but he managed. Claude was never supposed to be down there, but he was a certain type of outcast, so Yuri allowed him to come down. So long as he kept his mouth shut, he could come to Abyss as much as he liked. Claude never did tell anyone, not to Yuri's knowledge. He came down frequently enough, when he didn't feel like studying or training. Yuri could relate to those days back when he attended Garreg Mach, but why come down to Abyss, of all places?

Claude claimed the library interested him, with a grin sent Yuri's way. Something always told him there was more to it, but he never got an answer. He never asked, either.

When Claude asked him to join forces with him at the beginning of this war, of course Yuri said yes. He claimed it was to protect his people, but that wasn't quite it. He had reasons of his own to join Claude, reasons that he never wanted to put into words. Even now, he won't say it, when he knows it could be his last chance to say something. It's a little late to say anything now.

"So, what's your plan now? Back into the shadows?" Claude asks.

"Of course. And you get to enjoy basking in the sunlight."

Yuri doesn't mean for it to come out bitter, but it did anyway. He can feel Claude's eyes on him, but Yuri doesn't respond. He's not bitter, no. It's something else that rises to the surface, something that he does not wish to acknowledge. He's ignored the feeling for this many years, he can keep doing so. A soft breeze brushes against his face, and he closes his eyes. Claude is still staring. Yuri does not care.

They're similar people: tacticians and bullshit artists, with people who would follow both of them to their deaths. But while Claude works on the surface, Yuri works underground, finding justice in his own way. Their methods vary, but their ideals are very similar. Perhaps the goddess had always meant for them to meet.

"Ah, and to think, I came all the way up here with a proposition for you."

Claude smiles that easy smile of his, but for once, it lights up his eyes. It's the sort of smile that Claude only has when he's winning a game. Yuri furrows his brow.

"What is it?"

"I thought, maybe you'd like to expand your territory," Claude says. "Maybe if you travelled a little more, you'd be able to expand your list of people."

Yuri hums in acknowledgment, still staring at Claude. "And what are you getting out of it?"

"Really? I thought that was obvious." Claude laughs. "You would be coming with me."

Yuri raises his eyebrows at that. He leans his chin on the back of his hands, head tilted towards Claude. The smug smile on Yuri's face hides the hard thud in his chest, so hard that he can't breathe properly. He swallows, and it's only now that he realises his throat's gone dry. Oh. Oh dear.

"Oh? You would invite little old me all the way to Almyra? You don't even know my real name - are you sure you can trust me?" Yuri coos. The jokes hide the apprehension in his voice, that sliver of hope.

"You don't know mine either, and you seem pretty comfortable trusting me," Claude says, waving a hand dismissively. "And you'd be doing me a favour. I could always use the company. You don't have to stick around if you don't want to, but I thought you might find some useful contacts out there."

Yuri watches him. There's more to his reasoning than Claude will admit. They're at an impasse: Claude has made his move, and he's waiting for Yuri to make his in turn. This isn't like their games of chess where they can clear the board and start over at any moment. It's something a little more permanent, more serious. That smile can't hide Claude's nerves. What is he planning? Yuri stands up and takes a step closer to him, and Claude turns his body to face Yuri.

"Say I did go with you," he starts. "What happens then?"

Their eyes meet, and a shock runs down Yuri's spine. Claude cocks his head, as if trying to play innocent.

"Whatever you want to happen."

Whatever Yuri wants to happen. Sure, there are things he wants to happen between them, but they were little more than a dream even five years ago. Even he isn't bold enough to try and seduce a king, even though he wants to. He shouldn't. Though, from that look in Claude's eye, perhaps he doesn't have to try. He puts his hands on Claude's chest experimentally, watching his face for rejection, for him to laugh, something.

He doesn't. Instead, he sits his hands on Yuri's waist. Claude grins down at him, waiting for his answer.

Yuri leans up on the balls of his feet, touching his lips to Claude's. Before he can pull away, Claude pulls him in for a second kiss. Claude's lips are chapped and rough from the frozen Fódlan air, and his breath is impossibly warm on Yuri's face. He pulls himself closer, throwing his arms around Claude's shoulders. He tightens his grip on Yuri, as if letting go now would make him disappear.

But Yuri won't disappear now. After everything they have been through together, he never wants to leave Claude's side again. Yuri pulls away briefly, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes.

"Yeah," he breathes. "I'll go with you to Almyra."

It might be stupid, and it might be reckless, but he wants to go with Claude. Yuri has always loved taking risks.

**Author's Note:**

> Kiss Claude Day is happening on Twitter, and I thought, why not indulge in one of my fave ships? Yes it's pure nonsense. No I don't care. Yes I still want them to kiss hehehe. Also I've never written Claude before pls forgive me
> 
> Bug me on [Tumblr](http://vehicroids.tumblr.com) || [Twitter](https://twitter.com/vehicroids)


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